Can You Hear Me?
by Cielita
Summary: No containment contraption ever conceived could hold Mallory Casey, not even the newly reinforced one that Tech E. Coyote built for her. Once again, Mastermind is loose in Acmetropolis, and this time she’s ready to get Tech right where it hurtshis heart.
1. Mastermind's Back

_**Summary:** No containment contraption ever conceived could hold Mallory Casey, not even the newly reinforced one that Tech E. Coyote built for her. Once again, Mastermind is loose in Acmetropolis, and this time she's going for broke and ready to get Tech right where it counts—his heart. Spoilers for the episode "The Menace of Mastermind" and implied Ace/Lexi and Tech/Rev relationships. _

**Chapter 1: Mastermind's Back**

"Loonatics—we have a problem…"

The six heroes had heard these five little words dozens of times before and each time it meant that Zadavia had another job for them.

"You aren't going believe this one, team. Mastermind has once again escaped her maximum security prison," Zadavia elaborated. The beautiful interstellar princess was mysterious as her long blonde hair waved in some invisible breeze and her delicately shaped blue eyes glowed bright white.

"Apparently it wasn't maximum enough," Ace said in disbelief as he glanced at the video surveillance that Zadavia provided for them. Mallory Casey, the villainess known as Mastermind, slipped easily from her bubble shaped prison cell despite its structural reinforcements additional guards and lack of metal parts.

"How could she do that? I mean she's done it before but that was before Tech rebuilt her prison and wow how do you think she did that?" Rev babbled, making his entire statement in one long run-on sentence.

"Who careth how she did it—what I want to know ith how we're going to nab her thith time!" Danger Duck grumbled.

"The same way we did last time—she may think she knows what I know, but she's got another thing coming," Tech E. Coyote growled.

"Let's jet!" Ace cried. "We're heading for City Hall Square!"

"Good Luck, Loonatics!" Zadavia called as she watched them run from the room. A moment later, she smiled softly and murmured, "Zadavia…out," before she vanished from sight.

As the team touched down in City Hall Square, Mastermind was doing her best to make mayhem out of a perfectly nice summer morning. Droves of her homemade droids were shooting blasts of hot plasma at anything that moved.

"Rev! Can you get these people out of here?" Ace cried.

"I'm on it, Ace!" Rev cried, narrowing his eyes as he ascertained the number of people in the immediate danger zone. He took off running in a streak of flames and Ace turned his attention to his remaining teammates, who had taken to defending each other with their powers.

"Gsdfjrtupuh—batter up!" Slam growled happily, as he spun into a tornado of violently high winds and sent the plasma scattering in the opposite direction. Agile Lexi couldn't seem to stand still.

"Missed me! Oops! Can't touch this! Come get me!" she teased, leading one of the monstrous robots a short distance away before using her powers to brain blast the metallic creature into disrepair. Ace smiled and shouted across the square, "Nice work, Lex!"

"Oh, woe is me! A defenseleth duck in the middle of a terrifying situation! Please don't hurt me!" Danger Duck deliberately shouted, his voice dripping with his customary sarcasm. It worked. The two nearby robots saw him and ran toward one another. Duck waited until he knew that they couldn't possibly stop and then quacked out of the way. The villainous creatures slammed together and short-circuited, crashing to the ground.

Mastermind herself was cackling and screeching with laughter as she rode atop of one of the droids and backed Tech into a corner. If for some reason he wasn't able to escape, he knew that his ability of molecular regeneration could save his life, but he wasn't about to give Mastermind the satisfaction of thinking that she had finally put an end to him.

"Can the little puppy come out to play?" she mocked. Tech bared his teeth and snarled at her.

"Bring it on, bubble head!" Tech growled. Tech was forming a large ball of magnetic energy between his hands when Rev finished rounding up all of the innocent bystanders. He placed them a safe distance from the scene and turned just in time to see Mastermind's robot winding up and preparing to fire on his closest friend.

"Not Tech, Not Tech, Not Tech…NO!" Rev screamed, launching himself across City Hall Square toward the one he loved, gritting his beak so hard he could almost hear it grinding as he ran.

Tech threw his energy ball.

Mastermind fired.

The black and red clad roadrunner vanished as he dashed between danger and the best friend he ever had.

"REV!!!" Tech screamed, sitting up as he recovered from blast, his eyes adjusting to the natural light again. Mastermind fairly screamed with laughter. The stunned Loonatics reinforced their efforts but it was too little too late. Mastermind escaped into the air as her robot army took to the skies.

Not about to let her escape after what had happened, Tech started his jet pack and leaped into the air before something grabbed his ankle.

"Tech wait! We need to have a plan before we go running off after her again! Stand still!" Ace ordered.

"Didn't you see what she did!? She…Rev…I…" Tech was so overwhelmed that he could barely stand. His knees suddenly refused to hold him and even under Lexi and Duck's support, he collapsed to his knees on the ground, hyperventilating in shock.

"I know!" Ace shouted. "But we need to think! We…we don't need to lose anyone else!" Ace fought valiantly, but he was losing the battle to hold back his emotions. Lexi stood up and went to him, winding her arms around him from the back, resting her head in his shoulder blades.

"I don't know if I quite believe it yet…he was there one second and then…" Ace's shoulder's wilted and his head fell forward into his hands.

"Wedsfjpio go home," Slam said, his eyes cast down at the ground.

"Good idea. We're not going to accomplish anything standing here," Lexi said coming to face Ace. She swallowed hard and gently patted Ace's chest with her hand as she leaned into his shoulder.

"Then home it is. C'mon, Loonatics….let's jet," Ace replied, his voice soft with emotion. It would be the longest trip home any of them could remember.


	2. Devastated

**Chapter 2: Devastated **

The devastated Loonatics dragged their feet as they entered the living area of their home and headquarters. Ace sat down at the meeting table in the center of the room and slammed his fists on the table top before lowering his head to his hands. His ears drooped and then his shoulders started to shake. Lexi wound her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder, silent tears pouring from her eyes. Tech dropped his jet pack and stormed off to his laboratory, slamming the door so hard behind him that all of his teammates simultaneously flinched.

Duck rubbed his face with his hands, for once in his life lost for words. There was nothing any of them could have done. Slam didn't even make it to a chair. He sat down hard on the cold metal floor, hanging his head and sniffling as tears flooded his wine-colored eyes. Amid this scene of quiet suffering, a pool of soft, iridescent light appeared and expanded, revealing a visitor draped in a dark red hooded cloak.

Duck looked up and then the others followed and brought their attention to the newcomer. Small hands emerged from beneath the folds of the cloak and pushed back the hood, revealing Zadavia's exquisitely featured face. It was evident that she had been crying. Good, Ace thought to himself. It would save him the trouble and heartbreak of having to tell her.

"I am…uncertain of what to say. I am sure that nothing could comfort you at the moment," Zadavia said. Her voice was low and warm, like a blanket you could wrap yourself in and feel completely safe and loved.

"Where were you?" Duck demanded, his blue eyes boring into her from across the room.

"What are you talking about, Duck?" Zadavia asked, unsure how to react to the tone of his voice.

"Which part didn't you underthtand? Duck said as he stood up.

"Duck…" Lexi whimpered, attempting to keep him from saying something he'd regret.

"Where—were—you? When we were out there getting our fur and feathers handed to uth?" Duck snapped viciously. "You sit back in your cozy underwater palace and give the orders and information, but we're the ones out there taking all the riskth! Where were you when Rev…If you had been there maybe…!" He couldn't manage to finish the sentence. His hands were clenched hard at his sides and his eyes were welling with tears. Zadavia sat down in a nearby chair and covered her face with her hands. Slam shuffled over to her and knelt beside her, resting his large head in her lap. Zadavia wept as she tangled her hand in Slam's soft violet fur, stroking his head gently.

"Where is Tech?" Zadavia asked moments later, when she had composed herself enough to speak again.

"Locked himself in hith lab. Wouldn't go there if I were you," Duck snipped, folding his arms across his chest and turning away from her. Ace lifted his head at last, glancing around the room.

"Then I will," he said, standing and gently disentangling himself from Lexi's embrace. He kissed each of her hands and then her forehead before leaving her to walk down the hall toward the lab.

Ace knocked on the laboratory door, unsure of what to expect. Tech was Rev's best friend and according to Lexi, there had been a blossoming romance between the scientist and the speedster. Ace tried hard to put himself in Tech's position as he waited for him to open the door. What if it had been him and Lexi? He tried to imagine the devastation and heartbroken misery of watching the person you love give their life for you. This train of thought was broken by the sound of equipment crashing onto the floor inside the lab. When Ace opened the door and let himself in, Tech stood at his work table in the middle of the room with his palms flat on the work surface and his eyes cast down.

"Tech?"

"Why did he do it, Ace?"

"He saved your life—"

"I could have saved myself!" Tech interrupted, finally looking up at Ace.

"What Rev did was noble. He sacrificed himself because he thought you were in danger!" Ace yelled.

"So this is my fault now? If Rev was thinking of me he should have stayed out of the way!" Tech yelled back. "How does he expect me to live without him?!" Ace's eyes narrowed—he'd had enough.

"Don't make the mistake of thinking that you're the only one who misses Rev!" Ace shouted. "He was our friend, too, and we loved him! Maybe it wasn't the same love you had for him, but we still cared! Even Zadavia is sitting out there with us and she's crying, too! The least you could do is to have a little sympathy for the rest of us…we loved Rev, too," Ace shouted, wiping his eyes with his sleeve before he turned and stormed from the room, leaving Tech to pick up what he had thrown to the floor moments ago. Amongst the sundry tools and parts, he uncovered a framed photograph of him and Rev. He had given Rev a flower that day and the roadrunner had gasped and said, "A flower…for me? Tech! I love you so much!" It had been their luck that Lexi Bunny had been around the corner with a camera and Tech had framed the photo minutes after she put it in his hand. Now, the look of pleased surprise on Rev's face brought new tears to his eyes. Still clutching the picture, Tech ascended into the observatory and stepped out onto the roof. A breeze ruffled the fine hair on his face and distant thunder rumbled softly near the horizon line. Tech dropped to his hands and knees, putting the picture on the gravel surface before him. He took a deep breath and a moment later, the mournful howl of a coyote who just lost his partner echoed for miles on the wind.


	3. Memorial

**Chapter 3: Memorial **

Mastermind hummed happily as she puttered in her newly constructed hideout. She grinned as she attached a sturdy metal bracelet to the wrist of an unconscious captive lying on the work table in the center of the room.

"Phase one of my plan is complete! The next will require more patience. Tech always told me that anything worth doing required extra patience. We'll see just how much patience the Loonatics have now that they are less one teammate!" Mastermind thought aloud.

Calling the Mayor was only the second most difficult thing Ace had ever done. The first was calling Rev's family. His mother screamed, his father stammered incoherently, and his younger brother, Rip, broke down into shocked tears. Ace waited a moment and feebly murmured, "I'm so sorry…for your loss," certain that the words would be lost on them. When he hung up and left the main room to shut himself in the holo-deck virtual trainer, Lexi waited a moment out of respect and joined him there. She suspected that it was probably best that he wasn't alone for a while.

Slam meandered down the hallway and came upon Danger Duck sitting on the floor in front of Rev's bedroom door. His knees were drawn up to his chest and his arms were wound around them. With his face buried in his knees, he appeared even smaller than he already was.

"Sgpojirt what's wrong?" Slam asked. Duck looked up at him with red-rimmed, puffy eyes.

"Ace asked Tech to start packing up Rev's thingth. He couldn't do it so I said I would help him. I took one step inside the door and I couldn't touch a thing. I just have this overwhelming sense that something's not right…like Rev's not completely at peace yet," Duck explained.

"Grsrufghst we're not," Slam said sadly. Spontaneously he reached for Duck, lifted him off the floor and hugged him against his shoulder like a child. Under any other circumstances Duck might have been offended by this, but somehow a big, warm hug seemed to chase away just a little of the pain of loss that squeezed the breath from his chest. The next day's memorial for Rev would be the true test of their wills.

"Rev would have really liked to see all of you here today. His friends were his life, and the people he loved meant the world to him," Ace's voice was stronger than it had been in the past twenty-four hours but sadness still singed the edges. When he was finished speaking, he took a step back and urged Tech forward.

"There are few who feel Rev's loss more than I do. His gentleness and enthusiasm were matched only by his loyalty and dedication to the team, and his affection for his friends and family. Though he isn't with us anymore, I'm sure he would want us to remember him as the generous, smart, loving person he was," Tech said, biting back tears as he fumbled with a small box in his pocket. Zadavia spoke when her charges had finished, expounding on Rev's virtue, humility and courage.

"The sacrifice Rev made will not have been made in vain. It and he will live on in the hearts and memories of everyone who was lucky enough to call him friend, brother, son, or partner. Dearest, sweetest Rev Runner, you will be sorely missed," Zadavia said. Though she appeared to hold herself bravely upright as she spoke, the Loonatics could see how she clutched the edge of the podium as she gave her speech and they knew that she, too, was still feeling the stinging effects of Rev's sudden passage.

After the service, Zadavia took the heroes to headquarters herself before departing for her own home. The rest of the day would be spent, for the most part, in companionable silence.

"Mmm…dizzy…can't focus—can't move—where am I?" a voice called out into the darkness around him. Turning his head quickly this way and that proved to be a bad idea as he only made himself dizzier, and he still couldn't figure out where he was.

"Ohh…" he moaned. "Internal GPS is scrambled! Is someone there? Help! Wait—am I dead? Aw, man, please tell me I'm not dead!" Suddenly, florescent light violently flooded the room and footsteps approached the prisoner from behind.

"No, you're not dead you miserable scrap of road kill, but by the time I'm done with you, you might consider death a blessing!" Mastermind shouted. She came to stand beside him and stood quietly while he struggled against his shackles for a moment.

"When my friends find out what you're doing—"

"They aren't going to find out—not yet anyway. Besides, they aren't even looking for you! They've already moved on!" Mastermind cackled.

"I don't believe you! That can't be true!"

"Want proof? Just listen," Mastermind instructed as she pressed a button on the nearest console. A string of familiar voices filled the air.

"Don't make the mistake of missing him!"

"Let's go home."

"Wedsfjpio home."

"The sacrifice was in vain."

"There are few who feel his loss."

Mastermind laughed maniacally at the change of expressions that washed over the face of her captive. She had been recording the conversations that the Loonatics had been having over the past twenty-four hours and had used her equipment to manipulate the words.

"No…that's not right…it can't be…" he replied, heavy, fat tears swelling in his eyes and falling from his face.

"Give it up, Rev Runner, you're not going anywhere! Droids! Make our guest feel at home!" Mastermind ordered as three droids lumbered into the area and closed in on him.

"No! Stop! Please, no!" Rev screamed, vainly struggling against the chains before the droids savagely beat him and tore off his protective uniform. Minutes later, the droids retreated back to their places and Mastermind lightly caressed Rev's bruised face as he laid there, bleeding from small cuts and trembling with cold and fear. Without a word, she left him there beneath the blinding lights to absorb what had just happened. If it was true and his teammates didn't care about him, that might heal in time, but to hear Tech's voice saying that no one would mourn his passing was more than he could take. If Tech didn't love him, what else was there to live for? Rev put his head down on the cold metal table and closed his eyes against the scalding light as he started to cry. He was beginning to wish that Mastermind had simply put him out of his misery.

Tech wandered into his lab and shut the door softly. The mild rain that had started after lunch was still falling and Tech loved the sound. It was soothing to his nerves, and if he ever needed something soothing, it was now. He enjoyed the sound of the rain pattering the window panes, and the rumble of accompanying thunder. Tech pulled a chair over to the window and eased himself into it, staring out the window and remembering the violent thunderstorm that had blown over Acmetropolis two weeks before.

Tech had finished his work for the day and took great care to put everything back in its assigned place before taking off his lab coat and pressing a button that opened a door adjoining his lab to his bedroom. Tech had stretched and then smiled as a loud peal of thunder crackled across the sky, but a large, curled up form in his bed emitted a terrified shriek.

"Rev? Is that you?" he had said. He had gently lifted the covers and discovered Rev cowering in fear. "What's wrong?"

"It's storming! I hate thunderstorms, they're loud and scary and the lightning goes _flash_ and I love to swim and stuff but rain is just terrifying—did you know that there are birds that look up at the rain and _drown_? I don't wanna drown! I just knew that if I came in here and asked you really, really nicely you just maybe might let me sleep in here with you and then I wouldn't be scared because I know you would never let anything happen to me, Tech so what do you say? Can I stay? Please, please, please, please!" Rev had gushed. Tech had chuckled softly at him and smiled.

"Okay, okay, you can stay," he said. Rev's eyes had lit up with relieved joy.

"Oh gee whiz, thanks, Tech, I knew I could count on you. I'll really be able to sleep now with you here. sigh I love you, Tech," Rev had babbled as Tech climbed into bed. Tech had tugged the covers up around them and snuggled in, winding his arms around Rev and pulling him close. The roadrunner had given a happy chirp at this development and had quickly fallen asleep.

A louder rumble of thunder startled Tech out of this reminiscence and he wiped an errant tear from his eye.

"Oh, Rev…how am I ever going to get over you?" Tech murmured, turning off the lights in the lab and retreating to his room. He placed a red velvet ring box on the nightstand and crept into bed, falling into a fitful sleep.


	4. Hope in the Storm

**Chapter 4: Hope in the Storm**

The Loonatics often teased Duck by telling him that he sleeps so hard an explosion wouldn't wake him. While he denied this as much as his teammates insisted upon its truth, he knew that they were right. Despite the thunderstorm shaking the high-rise headquarters, Duck was deeply asleep, tossing and turning from what must have been some malevolent dream. He mumbled, rolled, gritted his bill, kicked and then rolled again before crying out and waking himself, sitting bolt upright in bed. Duck sat for a moment to let his head clear and then jumped from his bed, bounding down the hall and knocking on Tech's bedroom door.

"Duck? It's 3:30 in the morning…can't this wait?" Tech muttered.

"No. Listen to me. What if I told you that Rev might not be dead?" Duck sputtered. Tech's expression melted to one of malice.

"Walk away. One more word and the team will be having _canard a l'orange_for lunch tomorrow," Tech growled.

"No! Wait! You've got to listen to me! I can feel it—something's not right. Us birdth have a connection, you know? I know it sounds crazy!" Duck gushed.

"Haven't we all been through enough? Go back to bed before I pluck you to within an inch of your life!" Tech snarled. Duck stumbled backward as the rest of the team joined them in the hall.

"What's the deal?" Lexi yawned.

"Yeah—what's got your feathers in a bunch?" Ace asked, scratching behind his right ear.

"You're not gonna believe this just yet, but Rev's alive! You've got to believe me!" Duck pleaded.

"Ssrtjerljg how?" Slam demanded.

"Listen—that laser beam thingy is harsh, but it's not mortal. I was there. Tech aimed high and Madam Egg-head aimed low. Where's the body? If Rev's dead—where's the frakkin' body??" Duck cried. Ace stepped in before their other teammates could assault Duck.

"Look, Duck, old buddy. We've all lost a lot of sleep in the past two days. We were all there. Rev's gone, as much as we don't want it to be that way, we gotta accept it. Go back to bed, everyone," Ace said, sending the others back to their rooms. Duck was alone in the corridor now, sighing dejectedly. He shuffled into the main area and pressed a button on his side of the console. Zadavia's face appeared on the view screen.

"Yes?"

"I didn't wake you up, too, did I?" Duck asked.

"What's wrong, Duck?" Zadavia asked gently, deciding it was best to ignore his question.

"Have you ever had a feeling that you're right that you couldn't explain?" he said, a note of sadness tingeing his voice.

"What feeling is that?" Zadavia asked.

"I have thith really strong gut feeling that Rev is alive and I can't explain to the team that I think Mastermind's hoodwinked uth," Duck explained.

"It has been my experience that, when mourning the loss of a close friend or loved one, there is a sense or feeling that the person is still with us that prevails for a time after they have died," Zadavia said. Duck slumped in his chair.

"So…you're saying you don't believe me, either," Duck sighed.

"I just don't want you to get your hopes up, Duck. What would happen if you pursued this impulse and then discovered that you were wrong?" Zadavia reasoned.

"At least I would know for sure," Duck said softly. "Thanks for listening, Zadavia. Sorry for waking you up," Zadavia smiled sympathetically.

"Good night, Danger Duck," she said. He closed the communicator and stood, preparing to go back to his room. Half way there, he stopped and a look of pure, stubborn determination crossed his face.

"If no one else will help me, I'm going to go find Rev myself," Duck said, tossing his teal colored robe across his bed and tiptoeing out of headquarters, taking his jet pack and cruising out the large hatch. The cool night air was still soaked with the moisture of the storm that was now moving past the city limits.

"Hold on, Rev, buddy, I'm coming!" Duck shouted into the night.


	5. Sunrise

**Chapter 5: Sunrise**

Duck used the sensory equipment in his uniform and jet pack to analyze the area for seismic activity, abnormal weather patterns, and unusual energy spikes, anything that might be suspicious. He located a reoccurring power surge coming from an abandoned mine shaft west of the city limits and pointed his jet pack that way. When he arrived, he hid himself in some nearby brush and waited as the sun began to glimmer on the edge of the horizon, burning off the clouds as it rose. There was just enough light for Duck to see a droid patrolling the front entrance. Counting to three, he squeezed his eyes shut and quacked from his hiding place to the inside of the drone, letting it carry him inside with it when another guard came to take its place. When he was certain that the monstrous guardian robot had powered down, he quacked out of hiding and crept down one corridor and around one corner after another, letting his instinct drive him. The farther he went, the stronger his feeling became until he came to one room that still had the lights on.

Duck tried to peer inside and suddenly stopped, turned, and gasped as he quacked out of the reach of another guard robot. It wailed a warning and Duck quacked inside the creation, using an exploding egg to destroy it from the inside out. Duck pulled on the door with all of his strength and managed to get it open a few inches, though not enough to let him enter the room. Inside, just as his heart had suspected, was his missing teammate.

"Rev! Rev! I knew it! You're alive! Speak to me, buddy!" Duck screamed. Across the room, Rev opened his eyes and lifted his head just a little, still unable to focus for his swollen eyes and unable to concentrate for dehydration. Slowly, as the robotic guards converged on Duck and pulled him away, Rev realized what he was hearing. He fought to lift his head and in a small way he succeeded. He lifted his head another inch and squinted to try to see. He opened his eyes as wide as he could and Duck used his sensory equipment to snap a series of pictures in a fraction of a second. When the door slammed shut again, Rev collapsed, having expended all of the energy he had.

"Let me go!" Duck screamed. "Give me my friend back!"

"Over my dead body!" Mastermind growled. "and maybe over yours…beat him! Then send him home to his friends as an example!" Duck squirmed and fought but the robots got more than a few good punches in before Duck managed to quack out and materialize inside the room where he had found Rev. He dragged himself to his comrade and began pulling at his restraints.

"Leave me," Rev murmured.

"I came all thith way," Duck drawled, getting dizzy from the beating he had just taken. "I'm not leaving without you. The others think you're dead!"

"I know," Rev replied, laying his head down again. "Mastermind told me what they all said. Leave me, Duck, it's better this way."

"She must have really cracked that head of yours! What're you talking about?" Duck cried, frightened by how slow Rev's speech had become.

"The team…even Zadavia…they don't care that I'm gone…leave me before Mastermind catches you!" Rev wept. There was a sudden banging on the door and Duck knew he was helpless—he had to do what Rev said. As quickly as he could, Duck downloaded Mastermind's computer files to his onboard memory chip in his suit and turned to Rev.

"Don't you give up," Duck demanded, squeezing his hand. "I'm coming back—we're all coming back for you do you hear me!?" Rev looked up at Duck once more as the pounding at the heavy doors became louder and more pronounced.

"Duck…t-tell Tech that I love him…even though he said…just tell him I love him, okay?" Rev sobbed. Duck nodded and clutched his hand again before taking a deep breath and quacking out again, making a guarded run back through the city and reaching headquarters again just as the rest of the team was beginning to worry.

"Duck!" Lexi cried as he stumbled through the door and collapsed to his hands and knees. Lexi ran to him and fell to her knees beside him, pulling him into her arms. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"

"Some of us more than others," Tech grumbled.

"He's alive…" Duck muttered. "Rev…he's alive…"

"What?"

"That's impossible!"

"We were all there! We saw it!"

"Memory chip…download…media fileth…" Duck mumbled. Seconds later, he lost consciousness and the others worked fast to get him stabilized and resting comfortably. Ace returned to the main room with the chip from Duck's media retrieval unit and plugged it into the console. What the Loonatics saw made them have to sit down.

"Oh my gosh…"

"Whoah Dwhjrtjdh."

"You got that right, Slam. Duck's outdone himself this time," said Ace. He pressed a few more buttons and the speakers crackled to life.

"_Leave me," _

"_I came all thith way, I'm not leaving without you. The others think you're dead!" _

"_I know. Mastermind told me what they all said. Leave me, Duck, it's better this way." _

"_The team…even Zadavia…they don't care that I'm gone…leave me before Mastermind catches you!" _

"_Don't you give up, I'm coming back—we're all coming back for you do you hear me!?" _

"_Duck…t-tell Tech that I love him…even though he said…just tell him I love him, okay?" _

Ace had to sit down. Lexi started to cry. Tech nearly fainted as all of the feeling left his body.

"What did he mean about the things we said?" Lexi wept. "We said nice things, didn't we? We were all devastated to lose him!" Ace brought up the files that Duck had recovered from the computer and the team listened in angry shock as their own voices assured their missing friend that he was neither loved nor missed.

"Of all the cruel, heartless things!" Lexi wailed. "Poor Rev!"

"He thinks we didn't care that he died! That breathin' bobble-head twisted our words around to make Rev lose all hope of rescue—now it's our job to make things right and get Rev back!" Ace cried. Tech left the room as the others began to formulate a plan. Quietly, he entered the infirmary and pulled up a chair beside Duck's bed. Duck opened his eyes and tried to speak but Tech held up a hand to silence him.

"I owe you an apology. I was so blind-sided by losing Rev that I wasn't willing to listen to you. We've all seen the material you gathered and we're working on a plan to go and rescue Rev," Tech explained.

"Not…without me," Duck mumbled. "I…promised."

"We know. Rest for now and we'll check in on you when we're ready to go," Tech reassured him.

"Tech…Rev said…" Duck added. "He wanted you to know…" Tech's eyes welled with tears.

"I know," Tech replied, swallowing a sob. "He said that he loves me."


	6. Rescue Mission

**Chapter 6: Rescue Mission**

When Danger Duck opened his eyes again, the sunlight coming in through the window was higher than it had been before, and Ace was smiling calmly down over him.

"How ya feelin', Duck?" he asked, helping Duck to sit up and drink some water before letting him answer.

"Much better than I was a few hourth ago," Is there a plan?" Duck asked.

"First things first. You haven't eaten yet today and it's almost noon. Get something in your stomach and then if you're feeling up to it hit the showers and suit up. We'll need all the help we can get and we're not coming home without Rev," Ace explained.

"You got it, captain," Duck said triumphantly. Ace left the infirmary and made his way back to the main room where Lexi and Tech were still feverishly working out the final details that would need to be established for their mission.

"I've isolated the original sound files that Mastermind manipulated and added some new ones. This ought to remind Rev who loves him!" Lexi reported.

"Good idea, Lexi," Ace said.

"The readings and telemetry we got from Duck shows us almost everything we need to know. I've pinpointed Rev's location, the best entrance and exit points, and I've packed us some helpful equipment if we need to get out of a jam," Tech added.

"Awesome," Ace said proudly. Tech finished his work and once again brought up the pictures of Rev that Duck had taken that morning. He stared at the expression of learned helplessness in his partner's eyes, and the welts, bruises and patches of missing feathers, and it made him want to inflict the same savage pain on Mastermind with his bare hands. On the flipside, he wanted to wrap Rev in a blanket and bring him home where he could protect him, cuddle him, and nurse him back to health.

"Tech?" Ace called.

"What? Sorry, boss. I just couldn't help thinking…" Tech replied.

"I'm thinking that there might be more to this thing between you and Mastermind than we know," Lexi asserted.

"What do you mean?" Tech asked.

"I think I know what you're thinkin', Lexi. Tech, you and Mastermind went to the same school. You two shared a locker. Didja share anything else?" Ace asked, implying more than the dictionary meaning of his words with the tone of his voice and the shape of his eyebrows. Tech's ears drooped a little and he sighed, finally looking up at his friends.

"You're right. There was something between Mallory and me. We were in college and I was so into my research that I wasn't paying attention to the more social requirements of my psyche. That's where Mallory came in. She made me feel needed at a time when I didn't feel valued for anything but my mind. I cared about her very much, but I never felt quite right in the relationship so I broke it off. It wasn't long after that when she built her brain wave generator and the rest is history," Tech elaborated. By the time Tech finished his story Duck had cleaned up, dressed, and joined them in the conversation.

"So you're saying that you broke Mastermind's heart," Ace said.

"Tech dumped her when she was pressured and vulnerable," Lexi added.

"So when she found out that her ex was now 'batting for the other team' so to speak," Duck continued.

"The only way to get back at him was to strike where she knew it would hurt—his relationship with Rev!" Ace concluded.

"She won't be striking him much longer if I have anything to do with it. Let's go!" Tech urged. Minutes later, the Loonatics took to the skies, jetting toward Mastermind's lair and the end of what had been a nightmarish weekend.

Rev discovered as the morning wore on that holding his head up was becoming more and more futile; the shackle around his neck seemed to be slowly gaining weight. A small bit of hope glittered in his mind like a distant diamond and right now, it was the only thing keeping him from the edge of oblivion: Duck. Duck's was the only voice he had not heard in the recordings. Duck had risked his life to find him and to try to rescue him. It was Duck's voice in his head crying, _"Don't you give up! I'm coming back!" _ For the first time in two days, he wondered if he had been wrong. What if the others really did care about him after all? If there was even a speck of a chance, he had to try. He had to fight. He had to stay alive long enough for Duck to fulfill his promise. As this resolution set itself firmly in his mind, an explosion rattled the walls of the fortress.

The Loonatics cringed as a dozen guardian droids descended on them.

"A little overkill, don'tcha think, Tech?" Ace asked.

"I've been meaning to test out the TurboBlaster 4000 for weeks!" Tech grinned. The Loonatics fought their way inside, leaving the droids in rubble in their wake. Mastermind caught sight of them and took off running down the corridor.

"After her!" Ace ordered, sending Slam, Lexi and Tech to go after Mastermind.

"What about Rev?" Tech cried.

"Distract her! Duck and I will go and get Rev outta here! Go, Tech! Trust us!" Ace cried back. Tech bit his lower lip, took a deep breath and nodded. Rev would be back in his arms soon enough. Tech took off running after Lexi and Slam as Ace and Duck turned the opposite corner toward the work room where Duck had found Rev before.

"Here! This is it!" Duck gasped, stopping short and pointing at a door on the right side of the corridor.

"You're sure?" Ace said. Duck pointed again.

"Observe—my footprints are still on the walls where I kicked out the control mechanism this morning," he said. Ace's eyes widened and Duck smiled, lifting his bill proudly.

"Go, Duck," Ace said, duly impressed.

"You all don't call me 'Danger Duck' for nothing," he said. With Ace's help, the doors opened more easily, and they rushed inside and immediately ran to Rev's side.

"Duck," Rev murmured weakly. "Is that you?"

"You bet your tail feathers, buddy, and I brought the cavalry," Duck replied as he and Ace worked at releasing Rev from his bindings.

"What's this?" Ace said, examining the bracelet on Rev's wrist. He broke it to get it off his friend, but stowed it in his pack before pulling a blanket out and draping it over Rev.

"Wow…what did you do?" Rev asked, a little more clearly than he had sounded a moment before.

"What is it, Rev?" Ace asked.

"My internal GPS is coming back online," Rev said. A split second later, he squeezed hard on Duck's hand, causing him to cry out in pain.

"What's wrong?" Duck cried.

"I was…ok…for a second…now everything hurts! My head!" Rev whimpered. "I don't feel good!"

"Hang in there, Rev!" Ace yelled, tucking the blanket around him. "Duck! We gotta get him out of here!"

"Right behind ya, chief! Let's blow this pop stand!" Duck replied, still clutching Rev's hand. With strength he didn't remember having before, Ace lifted Rev into his arms and the heroes ran for the door. Rev mumbled something breathless and unintelligible and Ace panicked.

"Rev!" Duck cried.

"We're losing him! Let's go!" Ace shouted.

"What about the others?" Duck replied.

"You're not strong enough to carry Rev yourself. Follow me back to HQ and take care of Rev. I'll come back and help the others finish off Mastermind!" Ace ordered.

"Got it!"

The two fired up their jet packs and shared the weight of their friend as they carried him home. Ace helped Duck settle Rev into a bed in the infirmary, start him on an IV, and set up the machine that would monitor Rev's vital signs. By the time they finished, Rev had slipped into a coma. Ace wiped his hand across his forehead in frustration, but squeezed Duck's shoulder and instructed him to keep watch, and to call Zadavia so that she would know that Rev was back. Seconds later, he was jetting out again to rejoin the others.

"I'll call Zadavia, but there's someone else who deserves to know first," Duck said softly. He picked up his cell phone and carefully dialed.

"Hello?" said a delicate, feminine voice.

"Hi, is this Rev's family's home?"

"Why, yes it is. Danger Duck, is that you?" Ma Runner replied, pleasantly surprised to hear from him.

"Yeth'm, it is," Duck said with a smile.

"What can I do for you?" she asked politely.

"I have some really great newth, and some bad newth," he said evenly. "You might want to sit down." Ma Runner sat down.

"The great news is that there's been a miracle of sorts…Rev is alive," Duck began. He heard the sound of Ma Runner dropping her tea cup onto the table.

"B-but how is that possible?" Ma Runner stammered. Duck told her the short version of what had transpired over the past several hours as she listened with rapt attention. Duck heard muted voices as Pa Runner and young Rip entered the room and came to stand beside her. She relayed the essential part of Duck's message so far while he waited, biting his tongue to keep from crying again.

"_There's been a miracle…Rev…our boy…he's alive!_ Please, Danger Duck, the bad news cannot be nearly so terrible now that you've told us this! What is it?"

"Rev's in a coma, Mrs. Runner," Duck said gently. Minutes later, Rev's family was at HQ and gathered around him. His mother held his hand tightly in one of hers while she stroked his violet comb with the other. A tear occasionally fell from her eye and slid quietly down her beak before landing with a near-silent plop on the bed sheets. Pa Runner and Rip sat nearby. Duck noticed as he stood vigil on the other side that Rev resembled his mother.

"What's with the headphones?" Rip asked as he looked at his brother.

"Mastermind planted some awful ideas in Rev's head. She manipulated things that we said after he disappeared to make it seem like we didn't care about him. Lexi put together a collection of the things that we really said and that's what he's listening to. At least, we hope he's listening to it," Duck explained. The Runners nodded. Gingerly, Ma Runner moved the headphones and nuzzled her son's face.

"Mamma's here, Rev. Your Papa and your brother are here, too. We're so glad you're alive! Rest and get better, my darling, Mamma's here," Ma Runner murmured, kissing Rev's cheek. Duck turned away as he started to cry. Growing up in an orphanage had made him tough, but to see others with parents that loved them so much was almost more than he could take sometimes. As he thought about this, he felt arms around him and warm breath whispering in his ear, "I'm here for you, too, Duck. You believed in Rev so strongly that you risked your life to find him. It would be an honor to have such a noble young man as a son."

"You do have a noble young man for a son. Rev gave himself up to try to save Tech," Duck replied, flattered by the attention. Ma Runner nodded.

"Consider yourself adopted, Duck. You deserve it," Ma said firmly. Duck sobbed as he threw his arms around her and hugged her.


	7. The End of Mastermind

**Chapter 7: The End of Mastermind**

Mallory Casey cowered in a corner of what was once the giant factory where her droids were produced. It was crumbling around her as the Loonatics pursued her. Her heart raced as the walls trembled under the stress. Checking her wrist-mounted computer, she noted with surprise that all of her captive's vital signs had flat-lined.

"You're too late, Loonatics! Your friend is dead!" Mastermind screeched. Lexi Bunny launched herself off a wall and sprung toward her target. Angry to the point of tremors, Lexi shot her brain blast at the villainous woman and missed as she bolted out of the way. Lexi miscalculated her landing and crashed against a boulder on the ground, the impact knocking her out cold.

"Lexi!" Ace shouted, running toward her. Slam and Tech were busy with the last of the bots when a tangled mess of wires and tubes fell from the ceiling, trapping Ace in a web of cables and fiber optics.

"Rhjspiods LOOK!" Slam screamed across to Tech. Tech whirled to see Ace struggling on the ground, forcing his head out but his ears still tangled in the wire as Mastermind picked up a large shard of metal and ran back toward Lexi. This time it would be real—this time she couldn't miss her target. Unconscious Lexi lay helpless on the ground and Ace could only watch in horror as Mastermind hoisted the shard above her and took aim.

"NO!" Tech screamed, turning his weapon on Mastermind. "MALLORY, STOP!" She ignored him, and Tech opened fire, gritting his teeth against the blood-curdling scream of pain that echoed against the cave walls as Mastermind paid for her crimes with her life. When the shockwave from the weapon was over, the section of the wall nearest to the villainess crumbled, covering her in the rubble.

Tech's eyes overflowed.

"It's done."

Ace gained enough leverage to pull his sword out and slice through the mess of cables and leapt forward to take Lexi in his arms just as she recovered consciousness.

"Did we win?" she murmured.

"Yeah, gorgeous. We won," Ace said, leaning over to kiss her. "Let's go home."

About the time that the other Loonatics were on their way home, Duck finally found his bearings again and contacted Zadavia to tell her the news that Rev was alive, but still in a shallow coma. Overjoyed at this, Zadavia immediately joined them, administering a grateful hug to Duck when she arrived.

"I have never been so proud of you, Duck," she said, stroking his head. He led Zadavia into the infirmary where Ma Runner had fallen asleep sitting beside Rev's bed, still clutching his hand and with her head down on the bed. She woke with a start when they entered.

"What is it, Ma Runner?" asked Duck.

"He flinched! Rev squeezed my hand!" she replied breathlessly. Duck rushed to the other side of the bed and took hold of Rev's other hand.

"C'mon, Rev, buddy, come back to us," Duck urged him. Ma Runner stood and once again stroked Rev's forehead and comb in long, soothing strokes.

"Wake up, my darling," she coaxed. Seconds later it happened—the grip tightened and then Rev's shining blue-green eyes finally blinked open.

"Ma? Is that you?" he said weakly. His voice was so hoarse it could barely be heard, but to hear it at all was all his visitors needed. The room erupted into cheers of celebration as Rev took a deeper breath and opened his eyes a little wider.

"Duck?" Rev said softly. Duck choked back his relieved tears.

"I'm right here."

"Thank you," Rev said.

"Don't mention it, buddy. Don't mention it," Duck replied, adjusting the bed so that he could sit up enough to see the rest of the room. He accepted hugs from his parents and his brother and a hug and kiss from Zadavia as Duck heard the large overhead door in the launch bay open to admit the rest of the team.

"What happened? How did it go? We got her, didn't we?" Duck gushed, rushing into the room and helping Lexi get her jet pack off as she was still weak from the battle.

"Yeah, Duck, we got her. How's Rev doing?" Ace asked, his voice mellow with exhaustion.

"Come quick—he's awake! He just woke up less than ten minutes ago!" Duck cried happily. New energy lifted his spirits as he witnessed the first genuine smiles on his friends' faces he'd seen the past three days. They followed him to the infirmary, where they could hear Rev talking to his mother just on the other side of the door. A whimper of relief escaped the coyote as he heard his beloved's voice calling for him. His tail beat back and forth, wild with joy as Rev spoke.

"I think I'm gonna be okay now, Ma, really. What I'd like now is to see the rest of the team. Are they here? More than anything I'd at least like to see Tech, I've really missed him," Rev's voice echoed into the corridor. The time had come to unite the lovers once again. Ace opened the door to the infirmary and discreetly beckoned for the others to leave them alone. Lexi gave Tech a tender push and he entered the room. Rev's eyes adjusted for the distance and his eyes welled with happy tears.

"Tech!"

"Oh my God, you're alive!" Tech wept, throwing his arms around him. Rev returned the embrace and held him; both young men too busy crying to really speak.

"I missed you so much!"

"How could I think you didn't love me?"

"I was miserable without you! I thought my heart would burst!"

"Me, too! Please don't ever leave me!"

"Don't you worry—I plan to keep it this way for a long, long time," Tech replied. He sat back, sitting down on the bed and pulling the red velvet box out of his pocket. Inside were two identical rings. Each was a plain silver band with a simple zigzag design at the top. When nestled together in the box, they seemed to fit together perfectly. Tech showed Rev the box with tears still lingering in his eyes.

"There was a day this week when I thought I'd never get to show these to you. I thought my heart would stop when I realized that I might never get the chance to put one of them on your hand. What do you say, Rev? Marry me?" Tech said, taking the rings in his hand. Rev's eyes went wide and he chirped softly before breathlessly replying.

"Oh my gosh…oh my gosh… _yes_!"


	8. Recalled to Life

**Chapter 8: Recalled to Life **

Tech spent nearly every minute of that afternoon and the subsequent evening in the infirmary with Rev. The team brought dinner into the infirmary so that they could all eat together, but after this they vacated the room, smiling knowingly as Tech produced a chess set and the two played chess and talked until they could no longer keep their eyes open. Tech moved the chess set to a nearby table and yawned.

"I suppose you have to go get some sleep, huh? I guess I'll be okay in here alone," Rev said sleepily.

"I have no intention of leaving you here alone," Tech said, producing a large, thick fleece blanket. Rev smiled gratefully as Tech spread the blanket on the bed and then crept carefully under the covers with him. The space of a minute or two was spent adjusting and getting comfortable as Tech wrapped his arms around Rev and held him close, planting a neat row of kisses along his exposed neck and shoulder. Rev chirped a short, melodious trill as he relaxed happily into Tech's protective embrace. When Ace looked in on them before heading to bed himself, he carefully pulled the blanket up over their shoulders, smiled, and tiptoed out of the room again, dimming the lights a little more as he exited the room.

The next morning, Tech took breakfast for both of them into the infirmary.

"You look better this morning," he observed. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I slept so well last night with you here next to me, Tech. I didn't even have a nightmare like I thought I was going to! Do you think I'll be able to get up today? Oh boy, would I love to get up and stretch and go for a run sometime today!" Rev babbled. Tech couldn't help a smile. He'd never take advantage of the sound of that voice again.

"Whoah, slow down there, speedy. You've been through a lot in the past three days. Stretching is all right, and I'll even go for a walk with you, but absolutely no running for the time being," Tech said firmly. He loved Rev too much to let him over-do it so soon in his recovery process.

Rev would spend the next week slowly working back up to the standard of physical performance that he had expected of himself before this terrible ordeal. He quickly became well enough to sleep in his own room again, though occasionally nightmares haunted his nights. One night in particular nearly two weeks after the incident, the whole team was awakened by Rev's terrified screams.

"No! Don't go! Please don't leave me here! Ace! Duck! Tech! Tech, don't leave me, please!" Rev begged, the tone of his screams denoting sheer panic. The others came running and Tech and Duck were the first to reach Rev's side and grab hold of his hands to begin gently coaxing him to wake up.

"We're here, Rev, it'th okay, buddy," Duck murmured.

"No! Help me!"

"Rev, wake up, everything's all right," Tech said, stroking Rev's forehead even as he thrashed in fear.

"Come back!" Rev wept in his sleep. Lexi crept up onto the bed and knelt down beside Rev, putting a hand on his chest.

"We're right here, Rev, wake up!" Lexi said, a little more loudly. Rev screamed and finally woke himself, sitting bolt upright and nearly knocking heads with Lexi.

"Are you okay, Rev?" Duck asked.

"What was it?" Tech asked.

"We're all here, man. You're not alone," Ace added, patting him on the back.

"I—I woke everyone up? Aw, man, I'm sorry!" Rev whimpered, feeling terrible that he had caused trouble.

"Gerahforb it's okay," Slam replied.

"Yeah, it's not the first time that someone woke us all up in the middle of the night," Ace said with a good-natured but pointed glance at Duck. Duck smiled and the others chuckled.

"Why don't I stay here with you tonight," Tech suggested. Rev suddenly felt a wildfire blush burning up into his cheeks.

"I don't wanna cause any trouble, I mean, I certainly wouldn't argue if you really wanted to sleep here with me because, hey, why would I and—" Whatever might have been left of Rev's babble was swiftly cut off when Tech leaned forward and caressed Rev's face with his muzzle. The sensation of Tech's soft facial fur against his pin feathers was intoxicating, and Tech knew it to be one of the only ways to make Rev quiet again. The shiver of pleasure that thrilled him all the way to his toes was all the answer Tech needed.

"I don't mind…really," Tech said softly as he sat back and looked Rev in the eyes.

"That's our cue to exit, guys," Lexi said, smiling as she herded Slam, Duck and Ace back out of the room. "G'night, you two!"

When the room was quiet again, Rev sighed and laid back in his bed as Tech climbed in. Both heroes rolled over to face one another and Tech softly smiled as he placed his left hand over Rev's right.

"Are you all right? Something is still bothering you, I can tell," Tech whispered.

"It's stupid…let's just go to sleep, okay?" Rev whispered back.

"It's not stupid if it's keeping you awake and causing nightmares. Would it help if I told you that I've been having bad dreams, too?" Tech said.

"Really? About what?" Rev gasped softly in concern. Tech squeezed his eyes closed and a tear rolled from his left eye, all the way across the bridge of his nose and plopped onto the pillow.

"Losing you…nearly losing Lexi…killing Mallory," Tech murmured, losing the battle to keep a sob at bay.

"Aw, Tech," Rev replied, softly stroking Tech's face. Tech covered Rev's hand with his own and brought it to his lips to kiss it.

"Sleeping next to you doesn't just help keep you from having nightmares, it helps me, too," Tech added. Rev inched closer and eased himself into Tech's arms, snuggling against him and kissing him.

"You didn't lose me, Tech," Rev said, holding him. "I'm here, I'm all right now."

"Yes, you are, and I'll never take advantage of that presence again," Tech replied, returning the kiss and letting his hands wander over Rev's back and then beneath his pajama top. Rev moaned as he pressed another kiss to Tech's mouth. The palms of Tech's hands were the texture of soft suede leather, and the sensation caused by his touch drove Rev nearly to distraction. He whimpered softly as a chill ran the length of his spine and he breathlessly kissed Tech again.

"Take me," Rev murmured. "I want you to." Tech rolled them over, pinning Rev to the sheets.

"But we should wait…we should do this the right way," Tech said, panting in excitement. Rev craned his neck to steal another kiss.

"Either of us could die any time. I don't want to wait for another disaster to take one of us. Please, Tech," Rev replied, his eyes pleading with his partner to reconsider his position.

"I love you," Tech said, drowning in the depths of Rev's blue-green eyes. Rev stroked Tech's face and lightly scratched him behind the ears, a treatment he knew Tech enjoyed, whether he admitted it or not.

"I know—now show me," Rev whispered.

From her bedroom down the hall, Lexi rolled over in her bed, listened for a moment and then smiled before tugging the covers around her and going back to sleep.

"About freakin' time…" she muttered good-naturedly.


	9. To Love, Honor and Cherish

**Chapter 9: To Love, Honor and Cherish**

When morning sunshine sparkled through the windows, it illuminated the two exhausted, satisfied, contented lovers still lounging comfortably in each other's arms. Tech took a deep breath, rolled over and brushed his hand over Rev's shoulder and down his arm. His feathers were soft and slightly cool to the touch and Tech smiled as he watched Rev develop a smile of his own and lazily open his eyes.

"Hi," Rev whispered.

"Good morning," Tech replied softly, suppressing a yawn.

"Are you feeling better this morning? You didn't have any bad dreams, did you?" Rev asked.

"Not one," Tech replied. "You?"

"Nope. Not even a little," Rev answered. "Hey—it's Saturday today, isn't it? I want to call our parents and tell them we're getting married! We should have started planning already—there's so much to do! There's tuxedos, a cake, a band, a reception hall, attendants, the guest book, the church, the guest list! Aw, man is there a lot to do!" Rev babbled. Before Rev could run at the beak again, Tech leaned over and kissed him.

"We've been engaged for two weeks and we're not in that big of a hurry are we? We've got all the time in the world, Rev," Tech said. The roadrunner grinned.

"Gosh, you know what, you're right; there's lots of time! Do you think it's time for breakfast yet? Let's get up, huh, Tech? Don't move a muscle. I'm gonna go take a shower and I'll be back before you know it," Rev gushed, getting up and leaving the room. Tech chuckled and laid back in the bed for a moment, wondering idly how Rev's parents were going to react to his and Rev's engagement. He knew that despite repeated assurances that Tech was not a threat to them, that the Runners had shown a backwardness to trust him. What would they say when they discovered that Rev was planning to marry a coyote? Tech slid out of bed and stretched, catching his reflection in Rev's mirror. Carefully, he visually inspected his physical appearance. He silently evaluated the shape of his muzzle, the curvature of his tail, his muscle tone, and the overall expression of his face. He wasn't so scary, was he?

"You're amazing, you know that?" Rev said from the doorway. He re-entered the room with his red towel wrapped around his waist and came to stand behind Tech at the mirror. Slowly, Rev extended his arms and wrapped them around Tech's shoulders.

"Why am I amazing?" Tech asked, honestly curious to know how Rev came to this conclusion.

"Because you never let anything stop you," Rev said proudly. "We've been through a lot together and I want you to know how much it means to me that you keep at it and you don't give up—not even a little." Tech smiled and said, "That was a great speech."

"I thought you'd like that," Rev replied, resting his head on Tech's shoulder as they stared into the mirror together. Suddenly, Tech grinned.

"I've got something you're gonna like. C'mere," Tech said, pulling Rev around in front of him.

"Tech!" Rev giggled.

THE END


End file.
